On a scale of one to 10, with one being the most cost effective, the simplest video to produce is just you talking to camera.

The advantages are you have complete control over the content as who knows your company better than you? It also gives your website a real identity. However, make sure you know what you want to say before to start – nothing puts the viewer off than a stream of consciousness! Also, and this applies even if you are a man, don’t be afraid to use a little make up. Being in front of the camera with a light trained on you can lead to perspiration. History reminds us of the clever use of make up with a powdered John F Kennedy winning the famous TV debate over a sweaty Richard Nixon.

Another simple to produce video can be tutorials, where you (or one of your colleagues) demonstrate your product. Of course, if you are manufacturing giant fencing panels, it may not be quite so easy! However, if your product is relatively small, it’s a good way of showcasing what you do. Make sure though that you are thorough and use common sense – you don’t want to inadvertently make a spoof ‘how-to’ video like the ones created for motoring company Halfords on the TV channel Dave!

Asking your customers to tell the world how pleased they were with your services or your products on video is also easy. You don’t have quite as much control as if it was you doing the talking, but you can agree the content beforehand. Choose your customer carefully though, as the viewer will see them as a reflection on you.

If you have a fantastic PowerPoint presentation that you have spent time and money creating, you can use a technique called Screen Capture to make a video with a voice over. However, be warned. As we all know through bitter experience, ‘PowerPoint’ and ‘fantastic’ rarely appear in the same sentence. Be ruthless in the selection of slides and how much content is on each one. As with all video, less is more.

Finally, for a little more money, an animated video can really add value to your website. We’ve all seen them – we watch as the hand draws cartoon-like representations of what the narrator is saying. They can be a really fun way of getting the message across and can add a little humor to what might be a staid subject.